The Course – OverviewThe course is undulating with many of the holes played from elevated tees. The fairways are lush and tree lined, the greens are large, challenging and very true. The course is extremely well bunkered with conditions excellent all year round.

Hole 1 – Par 5 – Men: 448m | Ladies: 376m

MEN – Par 5 – 448mThis is a demanding par four opening hole. With out of bounds down the left hand side and a fairway that slopes right, a straight drive is needed. A long narrow two tiered green can be difficult to hit. With a challenging bunker left on the green, right is the bail out.

WOMEN – Par 5 – 370mIt’s nice to start off with a par 5 but don’t let the length of 440m fool you. The tee shot faces the right side of the fairway. If the longer hitters get a good drive away, they may contemplate going for the green. The second shot for the shorter hitters needs to be placed delicately. There is a bunker left side of the fairway that will swallow you up leaving difficult 70m shot into a long narrow two tiered green.The best miss on this green is right side. A deep left green side bunker will test your bunker skills early.

Hole 2 – Par 4 – Men: 379m | Ladies: 340m

Hole 2 requires an accurate tee shot down the left side of the fairway which will funnel the ball to the right. This will give you a good angle to the green. This green is pretty straight forward. Play the ball to the left side of the green and it will feed into the middle. With a good drive, a par or possibly a birdie may follow.

Hole 3 – Par 4 – Men: 347m | Ladies: 255m

Hole 3 is a slight dogleg left par 4 with a challenging two tier green. There is plenty of room to drive although long hitters will need to be left side to avoid running out of fairway. The second shot needs to be good for distance to ensure you are on the same tier as where the pin is located. Try to avoid the right green side bunker. You will need all your skills to escape this hazard.

Hole 4 – Par 4 – Men: 360m | Ladies: 335m

Another slight dogleg left. A slight draw of the tee is needed but don’t over cook it as the left trees are a definite dropped shot. The green slopes from back to front and shouldn’t present too many problems. Avoid missing the green long as a water hazard will swallow your ball.

Hole 5 – Par 4 – Men: 315m | Ladies: 305m

A terriffic short hole. Don’t assume the length of 314m will play easy. A somewhat blind tee shot where a fairway wood or long iron is recommended. Right side of the fairway just short of the bunker leaves a short iron approach to a long narrow well bunkered green.

Hole 7 – Par 5 – Men: 500m | Ladies: 415 m

This is a fairly straight forward driving hole although the longer hitters need to avoid the left fairway trap. The second shot needs to be accurately directed up the right side as the fairway slopes severely from right to left. Ensure to avoid the two bunkers featured right of the green. Try not to be a greedy flag hunter here. Hitting the middle of the green will be suffice.

The first of the par threes. This hole looks great off the tee. The green is beautifully bunkered and together with the wind , which you will often not be able to feel off the tee, makes this hole play difficult.

Hole 8 – Par 3 – Men: 150m | Ladies: 118m

Mount Gambier’s signature hole. The view from this highly elevated tee is spectacular. The hole can play very differently from the lower front tee to the higher backs especially if the wind is whipping up from the South. If the wind is blowing hard- try knocking the ball down. Avoid the bunkers as they will test your sand skills. The best bet is to let your partners go first and go to school on their club selection from the tee!

Hole 9 – Par 4 – Men: 342m | Ladies: 247m

Rounding the front nine is this challenging dogleg right. Be careful on the tee as the tee block shapes to the right and catches most new players. Its tough from the back tees but thankfully most of the time you will find the tees up the front. You may need to take an extra club into this green being uphill. Be careful not to leave yourself a downhill putt to one of the fastest greens on the course.

The toughest of the par threes. You will be playing a mid to long iron to this elevated green. The only good miss is short, anywhere else will really test your short game. If you hit the green here you have done well. A par here will almost feel like a birdie.

Hole 11 – Par 5 – Men: 463m | Ladies: 438m

You may wonder where the hole goes from the tee. Simply lay up short of the bunker or longer hitters can take it on. There is plenty of room left of the bunker off the tee and the second shot can easily be played from most parts of the fairway. You will be firing into a beautiful green setting with your second or third shot. The green has a fair slope from back to front so if the pins at the back make sure you’ve got enough club for your third shot. Take in the beautiful setting down at the green as this should soothe any frustrations you’re having with your game.

Hole 12 – Par 4 – Men: 328m | Ladies: 288m

Take it up the left side of this hole. The blind tee shot doesn’t reveal just how much the ball will feed to the right if you get it over the crest. This green presents the toughest assignment of any at Mount Gambier with the bunkers here presenting some real challenges. Holding the magnificent couch fairway from the tee will make for a far simpler second shot, which played onto the green will leave you wondering what all the fuss was all about.

Hole 13 – Par 4 – Men: 360m | Ladies: 330m

A truly magnificent driving hole. The Index rating of 3 may mislead you when you’re standing on the elevated tee. Perched high it just beckons for a booming drive. The real work begins with the approach shot to the significantly elevated green. The green is large and has a severe swail creating two tiers. Miss anywhere except short of the green and you will need plenty of imagination and touch to get the ball in the hole.

From the tee the fairway rises and seems fairly straight forward, but beware anything on the right half of the fairway will fall away to the rough. If you have managed to keep it on the short stuff- a short to mid iron second shot to the best green design on the course will see your chance of par increase. Keep out of the sand and take due care with putting as this green slopes severely from back to front.

Hole 15 – Par 5 – Men: 444m | Ladies: 400m

This is a very gettable par 5 as the Index 17 suggests. Another beautifully elevated tee shot with Out Of Bounds down the left requiring good concentration levels.For the long hitters you can go for the green in two with a strong long iron. No real dramas on approach to the green for those who lay up-although the greenside bunker is a tough up and down and the rough in and around the green can present some horror lies. Good chance to get one back on this hole.

Hole 16 – Par 3 – Men: 155m | Ladies: 143m

The final par three on the card. The green has a few slight undulations but it’s the bunkers which will test those who find the sand. Avoid missing the green long as it will take special touch to get the ball near the pin. Again, as with all our Par 3’s the wind is the most relevant factor and 16 is no different with its predominately strong right to left wind suggesting you challenge the right hand bunkers to get close.

Hole 17 – Par 4 – Men: 393m | Ladies: 364m

Off the back tee this hole is tough. The bunker left of the tee is definitely in play when the tees are up and can be fairly penal. The index rating of 1 is justified as the hole doglegs right and is uphill all the way to the large green. With the green having a substantial slope from back to front you will want to try and leave the ball under the hole. Be happy to take par on this hole any day.

Hole 18 – Par 4 – Men: 296m | Ladies: 240m

The final hole is a sharp dogleg right. Due to the elevated tee this hole is drivable for the long hitter. The standard way to go is a fairway wood or long iron to leave a short approach shot. The back half of the green is significantly higher than the front due to a huge tier in the middle of the green. If the pin’s at the back don’t leave your pitch short as down at the bottom tier you will surely be looking at the dreaded three putt to finish.